Abstract: A primary cell separator basket is formed from sheet material folded upon itself to form a basket bottom at the fold and bonded along margins in face to face contact extending from the fold. One or both sheet faces between the bonded margins are crowned outwardly to preform the basket and open its top. Basket preforms can be made in strips by longitudinally folding strip sheet material, crowning the material at intervals along the strip length and bonding the material in face to face relationship transverse of the strip length along the strip length in regions which fall between the crowns.

Abstract: A system of forming and manipulating primary cell separator basket preforms produced in strip form and tandem relationship with a dentent associated with each preform, e.g., a transverse slit in the strip for each preform displaced so its edge is outstanding from the generally flat strip. The preforms are fed to forming and insertion equipment by guiding the strip into alignment with a cut-off which is arranged to sever the lead preform and into alignment with a forming and insertion mandrel path of travel, engaging a detent on the strip with a dog and advancing the dog and strip along the path to present the lead preform for cut-off, opening and mandrel insertion. The severed preform is supported and compressed transversely between a support member having a groove to embrace a side portion of the preform and the dog or dog and cut-off blade so that it is opened and restained to receive the forming and insertion mandrel.

Abstract: A primary cell separator basket is formed from sheet material folded upon itself to form a basket bottom at the fold and bonded along margins in face to face contact extending from the fold. One or both sheet faces between the bonded margins are crowned outwardly to preform the basket and open its top. Basket preforms can be made in strips by longitudinally folding strip sheet material, crowning the material at intervals along the strip length and bonding the material in face to face relationship transverse of the strip length along the strip length in regions which fall between the crowns.

Abstract: A composite mold construction for casting on the connector straps, posts, and terminals for lead acid electrical storage batteries wherein the mold cavity areas are alternately heated by direct flame on one face and then chilled by a coolant on their opposite face to freeze metal in the cavities without freezing molten metal flowing in adjacent flow channels. A plurality of mold cavity partition inserts are arranged to be interchangeable in the main mold assembly to enable a single mold assembly to be utilized for several arrangements of battery cells, strappings, and terminals. Thermal distortion of the mating parts is minimized to maintain the junctions between the insert and frame free of leaks by surface geometries which provide broad surfaces of contact drawn together by bolts securing the relatively thin inserts by tapped bores in the more massive primary portions of the mold assembly.

Abstract: A composite mold construction for casting on the connector straps, posts, and terminals for lead acid electrical storage batteries according to the techniques of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,718,174 and 3,802,488 wherein the mold cavity areas are alternately heated by direct flame on one face and then chilled by a coolant on their opposite face to freeze metal in the cavities without freezing molten metal flowing in adjacent flow channels. A plurality of mold cavity partition inserts are arranged to be interchangeable in the main mold assembly to enable a single mold assembly to be utilized for several arrangements of battery cells, strappings, and terminals. Thermal distortion of the mating parts is minimized to maintain the cavities free of leaks by interfitting under cuts and pinned or otherwise keyed couplings between the relatively thin inserts and the more massive primary portions of the mold assembly.